A conventional smoke control system typically includes a master smoke control panel that indicates the status of equipment and operations in the smoke control system and their relationships. Referring to FIG. 1, the smoke control panel is configured as a graphic panel 2 having multi-color graphics, text and indicators 4 for depicting a building arrangement 6 and associated smoke control zones. In particular, the graphic panel 2 depicts the locations of fans, main fresh air ducts, main exhaust ducts, dampers, stairways, elevator shafts, airflow paths, fire pump, emergency generators and other associated items within the building.
The graphic panel 2 also provides control switches 8 to allow manual override and control of smoke control systems including fans and dampers within the facility. Light Emitting Diodes (i.e. “LEDs”) 9 are also provided on the graphic panel 2 for the purpose of annunciation of an alarm event or other status of smoke control systems, smoke control fans, smoke control dampers, and additional items. The switches 8 and LEDs 9 are connected by input and output modules to a network interface card of a fire detection control panel.
The graphic panel 2 provides a clear picture of the smoke control system and relates each switch and indicator to an appropriate floor or building zone. This facilitates rapid visual comprehension of the system configuration and enables an emergency responder or other user to quickly understand the arrangement of the building, the origin of the alarm and assess the configuration of the smoke control system.
A smoke control system for large buildings or a complex of buildings requires the use of a correspondingly large graphic panel or multiple graphic panels in order to be able to depict the building arrangement. For example, a complex including 15 buildings requires the use of multiple large graphic panels thus necessitating that large areas in a room or an entire room be used to accommodate the graphic panels. Moreover, a change in the physical structure of a building or in the configuration of a smoke control zone, for example, requires physically reconfiguring a graphic panel or the purchase and installation of a new graphic panel.
Therefore, it would be desirable to be able to reduce the amount of space needed to display a building arrangement for a smoke control system. It would also be desirable to be able to accommodate changes in the physical structure of a building or smoke control zones without physically reconfiguring a smoke control system.